We've had our little Bichon-poodle, Tiki, for 6 years. We rescued him from a kill shelter and almost literally raised him from the dead. Some intensive nursing on our part brought him back to life. At the time, the vet estimated that he was about 5yrs old, based on his teeth. Now, my DH is questioning whether he is indeed an 11yr old dog. Tiki doesn't have the "look" of an elderly dog at all.He's not frail, has all of his teeth, is very healthy. But then again, Bichons look like teddy bears until they are well into their teens. I tend to agree with the vet, that he was probably about 5 when we got him and 6 years later he would be 11. DH thinks his birthdate is off by 4-5 years (yes, I realize that would make Tiki a newborn when we got him, but there's no reasoning with this man!) Sooo, how does a vet determine a dog's age?

It's pretty easy to tell up to about 1-2 years. Permanent Teeth have a pretty "fixed" eruption date, though it does vary a little. Adult teeth are all in and fully grown by a year. Wear starts at that point and varies greatly by diet and chewing habits. General health, diet genetics and habits cause so much variation that any guess at that point is just that - a guess.Doug, DVM

If he were under two when you got him, the vet would have known. After that, it's more guesswork than anything. So, he could be anywhere from 8 years on up.His "youthfulness" may just be a reaction to six years of a good home.

Several years ago we rescued a mixed poodle that was living on the street. I guessed he was about two years old.Eight years later we moved and I told his new vet he was a rescue and I didn't know his age.The vet, 30+ years experience, checked the dog and looked at his teeth.He told me the dog was no more than four years old. I told him we had him eight years.The vet shook his head and said, 'it was just a guess.'Dr. Doug was correct.

Regardless of his age, kudos to you for adopting a sick dog and nursing him back to health. Indeed his longevity has to be tied to the love and good care he has had since then.God bless all rescuers.Dale

Aren't poodles and Bichons breeds that tend to live longer? My Aussiepoo is 11 and still silly and playful in spite of losing his sight to diabetes (he still insists on playing fetch!) And having a white muzzle - you don't see the graying that tends to give away some dogs' ages.Clearly, you've done a great job of rehabbing your dog!!

Determining a dogs age | Good Sam Community

doxiemom11
Explorer II
Aug 11, 2019
Our Japanese Chin is 15 and has only been turning whiter in the face the last couple of years. She is still very agile and playful and can run fast. She just sleeps more than she did when she was younger.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Aug 11, 2019
Traditionally rescue groups would say "2 to 5 years" for any dog (or cat) that isn't a puppy or definite senior - regardless of whether the actual age was known. Most folks didn't want senior dogs, so the 2-5 age bracket was part of the adoption game to get animals adopted.

Nowadays, it's not as hard to adopt older animals, so that doesn't happen as often. And with animal empathy stronger than ever, it is even a possibilty that an animal will be estimated as older to get the sympathy adoption.
dturm
Moderator
Aug 11, 2019
We run into the age problem with our Kaylee. She was a stray off the street and being a terrier cross, she's "energetic." She's got terrible teeth, gum disease and we've done several cleanings since we got her. I'm guessing she is at least 10 but could be a lot older.
Chock_Full_o__N
Explorer
Aug 11, 2019
dturm wrote:
It's pretty easy to tell up to about 1-2 years. Permanent Teeth have a pretty "fixed" eruption date, though it does vary a little. Adult teeth are all in and fully grown by a year. Wear starts at that point and varies greatly by diet and chewing habits. General health, diet genetics and habits cause so much variation that any guess at that point is just that - a guess.

Doug, DVM

Thanks, Dr. Doug. My DH will be thrilled to be vindicated, LOL. And I am happy because we might be able to enjoy this little doggy for longer than we thought.
Chock_Full_o__N
Explorer
Aug 11, 2019
Deb and Ed M wrote:
Aren't poodles and Bichons breeds that tend to live longer? My Aussiepoo is 11 and still silly and playful in spite of losing his sight to diabetes (he still insists on playing fetch!) And having a white muzzle - you don't see the graying that tends to give away some dogs' ages.

Clearly, you've done a great job of rehabbing your dog!!

I think little dogs generally do live longer. Some Bichons live well into their mid-to-late teens. And with them being white, you just don't see them graying.
Chock_Full_o__N
Explorer
Aug 11, 2019
VoodooMedicineMan wrote:
I picked up a stray and took it to a Vet. The dog had a chip in him and he said the dog was 15 years. Find a vet who can check if the dog is chipped.

No, no chip other than the one I had placed.
Chock_Full_o__N
Explorer
Aug 11, 2019
Big Katuna wrote:
We had two black Standard Poodles. Sadie lived to almost seventeen and her boy almost fifteen. They never turned gray and looked like they did when they were five right up to about a year or two before they died. They age quickly and start losing weight when it’s time.

Our last dog was an 80-lb black Standard Poodle. Smartest dog in the world, so regal and stately. Sadly, he only lived to 11yrs old. As you said, when they start aging it can escalate quickly. He was frail for about a year and had multiple injuries due to arthritic joints. And then one day, he just started failing. We propped him up with meds and IV fluids a couple times, but within the week it was clear his time was up.
VoodooMedicineM
Explorer
Aug 11, 2019
I picked up a stray and took it to a Vet. The dog had a chip in him and he said the dog was 15 years. Find a vet who can check if the dog is chipped.
Big_Katuna
Explorer II
Aug 11, 2019
We had two black Standard Poodles. Sadie lived to almost seventeen and her boy almost fifteen. They never turned gray and looked like they did when they were five right up to about a year or two before they died. They age quickly and start losing weight when it’s time.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Aug 11, 2019
Aren't poodles and Bichons breeds that tend to live longer? My Aussiepoo is 11 and still silly and playful in spite of losing his sight to diabetes (he still insists on playing fetch!) And having a white muzzle - you don't see the graying that tends to give away some dogs' ages.

Clearly, you've done a great job of rehabbing your dog!!

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